Hullumeelsus (1969)

A Gestapo officer must find an enemy agent from the asylum.

Director:

Kaljo Kiisk

Writer:

Viktor Lorents

Stars:

Jüri Järvet, Vaclovas Bledis, Valeriy Nosik

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jüri Järvet	...	Windisch
Vaclovas Bledis	...	Inimene Nr. 1 (as V. Bledis)
Valeriy Nosik	...	Toimetaja (as V. Nossik)
Bronius Babkauskas	...	Willy (as B. Babkauskas)
Viktor Plyut	...	Krohn (as V. Pljut)
Mare Garsnek	...	Sophie (as M. Garsnek)
Voldemar Panso	...	Peaarst (as V. Panso)
Elvyra Zeberviciute	...	Õde Lucia (as E. Zebervitsute)
Harijs Liepins	...	Leitenant (as H. Liepins)
Lembit Anton	...	Naerja (as A. Lembit)
Ants Jõgi	...	Maletaja (as A. Jögi)
Karl Kalkun	...	Kahe näoga (as K. Lalkun)
Enn Klooren	...	Klaasist mees (as E. Klooren)
Hugo Laur	...	Ma nägin teid.. (as H. Laur)
Oskar Liigand	...	(as O. Liigand)

Storyline

The action takes place in a nameless country occupied by the German army at the time of World War II. In a small village there's an asylum. A squad of German soldiers arrives to take the insane people to a "walk in the forest". Just before they are ready to go to forest to kill the insane people, a Gestapo officer arrives and from his conversation with the doctor we can find out that there's an enemy agent hiding himself in the asylum. Officer Windisch must find the agent from 583 people and on his searches he is slowly starting to feel himself crazy too.

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Plot Keywords:

gestapo | doctor | hiding | irony | reference to the reichstag | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Estonian

Release Date:

February 1969 (Estonia)

Also Known As:

Bezumie

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tallinnfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the movie was ready, it was allowed to show only in the Baltic states and in Belorussia. Only 9 copies were made to the rest of the Soviet Union.

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Quotes

Doctor: What power can an unsigned letter have!

User Reviews

Everyone is insane!

Kaljo Kiisk was one of those rare Estonian directors who could make his movies look non-estonian. His movies were usually well paced and beautifully shot with interesting characters and witty dialogue. This is also the case with 'Insanity' that is probably one of the best (if not the best) movies Kiisk ever directed. What this movie all could have been if there wouldn't have been the restrictions of Soviet censorship. Cinematography is gorgeous - the camera never seems to stop and the stylish movements in the conversation scenes never get distractive. And of course that brilliant scene with the imaginary typewriter.

Jüri Järvet stars as gestapo officer Windisch who arrives into insane asylum to capture British spy who supposedly hides himself among the patients. He picks out five prime suspects who he starts to work on. The investigation doesn't go smoothly and all the obstacles drive Windisch near insanity himself, and unclear talk of hospital's enigmatic main psychiatrist (Voldemar Panso) doesn't help much. The story is quite straightforward, but with plenty of tension and mystery until the very last minutes when the shocking twist is revealed.

'Insanity' is Estonian cult classic (although it deserves much more recognition) and is one of the prime examples of Soviet era Estonian cinema among with 'Dead Mountaineer's Hotel' and 'The Last Relic'. Highly recommended to anyone who's interested in Estonian cinema.